>>> also in the middle east an american citizen emerging as the alternative to president bashar al assad in syria. he is from texas and elected early this morning as the leader of the opposition and could be the first prime minister if the government of al assad is ever toppled. >>> to a close call for thousands of college students walking around campus with a heavily armed gunman in their midst but police swooped down on the university of central florida before their fellow student could carry out his plot. here's pierre thomas with the latest. >> reporter: hundreds at the university of central florida evacuated as word broke of a gunman on campus. >> the cops had guns and were telling everyone to run. >> we noticed something was wrong because we saw a policeman with a big rifle and everything. >> reporter: it turns out the students may have narrowly escaped a pass kerr. >> it could have been a very bad day. >> reporter: police believe that james was going to set them up for slaughter. his roommate warned police and police responded within minutes. >> and found the subject dead from a s